Corn husking machine



Sept. 30, 1952 E. R. DUDLEY, .1R 2,612,170

A CORN HUsxING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21. 1948 l INVENroR.

FDMOND /zL/DLEY JR.

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Sept. 30, 1952 E. DUDLEY, JR CORN HUSKINd-MACHINE Filled sept. 21. 194s s' sheets-sheet 2 1 INVENTORM a EDMOVDR.DULEY JR.

BY A

Patented Sept. 30, .1952

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORN HUSOMACHINE v Application September 21, 1948, Serial No. 50,383

l3 Claims. 1 y

This invention relates toa machine for removing husks and silk from ears of corn.

Corn husking machines heretofore provided have suffered from various disadvantages. Some such machines subject the ears of vcorn to rough, mechanical treatment, as by rollers, resulting in damage to the kernels of corn. Other machines do not perform the dehusking and desilking operations efficiently, e. g., they do not remove the silk from the ears of corn.

It is desirable to provide a cornhusking machine which is operable to remove the husks and the silk from ears of corn rapidly and economically and without damage to the kernels of corn. This is particularly desirable in dehusking and desilking ears of green corn for packaging for the fancy grocery trade. y

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved corn husking machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine for dehusking and desilking ears of corn which is simple in design, easy and dependable in operation.. and which efficiently removes the husk and the silk from the corn without damaging the kernels.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and appended claims.

'Ihe invention is exemplified in the following description and is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View in side elevation of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the corn husking assembly;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l showing the details of the corn conveying mechanism; 1

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showingan end view of the corn husking assembly; y

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of one of the centering diaphragms;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation as viewed from the right of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of a third embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, the corn husking apparatus of the invention comprises a frame I0 including upright posts II and upper and lower horizontal members I2 and I3.` A plurality` of upper straps I4 and lower straps I5 are provided. being welded or otherwise suitably securedto the horizontal frame members and serving to support upper and lower track or guide members I6 and I1, respectively. A casing I8, which is conveniently formed of galvanized sheet metal, is also provided, being bolted to the frame members by bolts I9. The upper portion of the casing I8 is depressed to form a trough or slide 20, the ends of the casing being spaced somewhat apart to provide a slot 2| for a purpose explained hereinafter. v-

A rearward sprocket 3l is fixed to a shaft 32 which is journaled in bearings 33, and a similar, forward sprocket 34 i's fixed to ashaft 35 journaled in bearings 33a, the bearings 33 and 33a being secured to the framework as shown. Trained about the sprockets 3l and 34 is a conveyor chain 36 having lugs 3l, the conveyor chain being received within and guided by the above mentioned trackv members I6 and Il and the lugs extending through the slot 2| into the slide 2e.

Near the forward end of the machine is a corn husking assembly designated generally as 38 and best shown in Fig. 2. Thus assembly comprises a casing 39. open at its lower end to a chute 40. Disposed within the rearward end of the casing 39 and in alignment with an opening 4I formed in the casing, are a pair of rubber diaphragms -42 and 43 spaced apart by a spacer 44. Each diaphragm is provided with a plurality of slots 42a or 43a radiating outwardly from a common center. These centers are aligned with each other and with the opening 4I in the casing 39, and the slots of each diaphragm form a plurality of flaps 45 forming a yieldable closure as and for a purpose described hereinafter. The diaphragm assembly is secured to the casing by any suitable means, such as bolts or screws 46.

Forwardly of the diaphragm assembly is dis posed a cylindrical corn husking tube which is received within an opening 5I formed in the forward end of the casing, such tube being aligned with the diaphragms 42 and 43 and being supported by the casing and by any other suitable means (not shown) as may be necessary. The husking tube 5I is provided at its bottom with a slot 52 extending from end to end thereof. At the forward end of the husking tube 5I is disposed a manifold 53 comprising an air inlet pipe 54 and a split tubular ring 55. Radiating rearwardly and inwardly from the ring 55 are branch ducts or pipes 56 which open into the interior of the corn husking tube 5I, the inner ends of the ducts 56 being tangent to elements of the tube.

As illustrated, at the forward end of the machine there is also provided a corn slide or chute 51 and there is also providedfa timing device generally designated as y60. Such timing device comprises a valve 6I actuated by a rod 62 which is reciprocated by a cam 63 secured to the shaft 35.

In operation, the apparatus thus described functions as follows: Ears of corn '10, which have had their ends cut off at 'II and 12, are loaded manually or automatically at the rear or right` hand end of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1. The lugs 31 propel the ears forwardly to the husking assembly 38. The diaphragms 42 and 43 provide two point support for and serve to center and guide each earof corn so as toalign it `coaxially of the husking tube 50; The tube 50 may itself be provided with centering means (not shown). Meanwhile, compressed air, preferably under a high pressure such as 100 to 200 pounds gauge, is admitted through the manifold 53, either inter-'- mittently with the aid of the timing mechanism 60, or continuously, in which latter case the vtiming mechanism is rendered inoperative. If the timing mechanism is employed, the cam. 63 vwill have a contour such as to inject air as each ear enters the tube 50. The air jets thus introduced effectively strip both` the husk 1-3 and the si-lk from the ears of corn without-damagingthekernels of corn. The husks and silk drop into the chute 40 and the dehusked and desilked ears travel forwardlyl and drop down the chute 51.

In designing the diaphragms 42 and 43 and the huskingv tube 5G, and'- in installing'the'same, as noted the.A diaphragme are disposed close to the tube. The flapsg45 .ofV the diaphragms are preferably of'a length such as to provide'iir'm support for the ears of corn but to allow earsV of varying sizeY to pass through without undue resistance. The tube 50 is preferablyofas small a diameter as possible consistent with the'sizeof ears of corn that are to pass through it, to the end that the jets of-air will be confined toas smallV a space as possible. Y.

An alternative embodiment isl shown in Figs. 6 andl 7'. As there shown, a base 'I5 is provided, and supported upon the' base at one end thereof is a. rectangular frame 'I61 from which project a plurality of forwardly and inwardly'extending com guide strips 11,- which areV advantageously made of flexible metal. Forwardly of the frame member and corn guide is disposed a cylindrical husking tube 18- which is supplied with steam or compressed air through a manifold 'I9 and branch ducts 80. The ducts 80 communicate with the interiorof the huskingA tube 118, their outlet ends being tangent to element-s of the tube.

In the operation of this device, ears of corn are fed forwardly through the frame 'Iii and corn guide strips 17. Such feedingmay be accomplished manually or automatically, and by a ramming device or a continuous conveyor (not shown). Meanwhile steam or `compressed air is admitted to the husking tubel'' through the manifold 'I` and branch ducts 80. The ears of corn are dehusked and desilkedin'thesame manner' as described above' with reference'to Figs. l to 4. 7

Referring now to Fig. 8, there is shown a third embodiment of the invention 4in which thereis provided a base`8l upon which,l at one end, is supported a feed 'chute 82 a'ndhusking tube 83. At

4 82, and they are sucked forwardly into the tube 88 by means of suction resulting from the steam jets introduced into the husking tube 83 through the branch ducts 9|. The plunger 92 retards movement of the. ears of corn sufficiently to allow the stream of air and'slteamto strip off the husk and silk. The dehusked and desilked ears of corn, and the husks and silk removed therefrom, pass forwardly and drop into the discharge casing 89. Coil spring 94 returns the plunger 93.

It willthus be seen that apparatus has been provided for dehusking and desilking ears of corn, which apparatus is simple in construction and operation and employs pneumatic means for the dehusking and desilking operation. Such apparatus, and especially that of the preferred embodimentillustrated'in Figs, 1 to 4, is highlyy efcient inits'ope'ration. The husks and silk are completely removed from the ears ofY corn, and little orno damage is done to the kernels of corn. Thus, the machine is adapted to dehusking and desilking green corn for packaging for the fancy grocery trade.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its` construction bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. A corn huskingmachine-comprising a tube having a diameter substantially no greatervr than an ear of cornl means forl introducing iiuid under pressure into saidtubeandv creating a unidirectional, axalfiowofuid therethroughand means for moving ears ofV corn lthrough. lsaid* tube in axial alignment therewith and countereurren-t to the flow of uid therethrough.

2. A corn husking machine comprising a tube having a diameterl substantiallyno greater than an ear of corn, a continuous conveyor for conveying ears of corn through saidf tube, and air inlets for said tube so disposed as to direct air through said tube countercurrentlvto-*the movement of said ears.

3. A corn husker comprising: a tube; an endless corn conveyor -arranged tovmove ears of'corn through said tube; a uid manifold mounted on said tube; fluid conduits communicating at their outer ends with said manifold and at theirinner ends with the interior of said tube foridirecting fluid streams Within said' tube in a direction reverse to the passage of ears of corn therethrough; and a radially split flexible diaphragm disposed adjacent the inlet side of said tube and. inraxial alignment therewith, said 'diaphragm serving to center said corn. as it advancesginto-saidptube; EDMONDRJJv DUDLEY; JR.

REFERENCES 4(i1-'rmi The. followingreferences are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNI-TED STATES PATENTS o Y Date.A 

